Carbonation

Bubbles of carbon dioxide float to the surface of a carbonated soft drink.

Carbonation can refer to two chemical processes involving carbon dioxide:

1. The dissolution in a liquid, also known as fizz.
2. The incorporation into chemical compounds.

Dissolution in a liquid

The process usually involves carbon dioxide under high pressure. When the pressure is reduced, the carbon dioxide is released from the solution as small bubbles, which causes the solution to become effervescent, or fizzy. A common example is the dissolving of carbon dioxide in water, resulting in carbonated water.

Carbon dioxide is weakly soluble in water, therefore it separates into a gas when the pressure is released.

Incorporation into chemical compounds

Carbonation of ribulose bisphosphate is the starting point of the incorporation of carbon dioxide into the biosphere.

Carbonation also describes the incorporation of carbon dioxide into chemical compounds. This occurs in the following cases:

In biochemistry

Our carbon-based life originates from a carbonation reaction that is most often catalysed by the enzyme RuBisCO. So important is this carbonation process that a significant fraction of leaf mass consists of this carbonating enzyme.^[1]

In reinforced concrete construction

Also known as neutralisation, it is a chemical reaction between carbon dioxide in the air and calcium hydroxide and hydrated calcium silicate in the concrete.

See also

• Diet Coke and Mentos eruption
• Fizz keeper
• Industrial gas
• Nitrogenation
• Nucleation
• Pop rocks

References

1. Stryer, Lubert; Berg, Jeremy Mark; Tymoczko, John L. (2002). Biochemistry (5th ed.). San Francisco: W. H. Freeman. ISBN 0-7167-3051-0.

External links

• Carbonation and Acidity
• Dissolution of Marble in Hydrochloric Acid Demonstration (instruction and video)
• Robert O'Leary. "ATR Infrared Spectroscopy method for measuring CO₂ concentration in Beer" (PDF). Describes in detail the theory and practice of measuring dissolved CO₂ content in soft drinks and beer.